India has distanced itself from former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's recent media interaction in New Delhi, with the Ministry of External Affairs clarifying that the government had no role in organising the event and does not endorse the remarks made there. The clarification came after Bangladesh strongly objected to Hasina's participation in the programme and raised concerns over comments relating to the country's "duly constituted government."

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the interaction was organised by a private media entity and that the Indian government had no involvement in it. He also made it clear that India does not endorse statements made at the forum, particularly remarks concerning Bangladesh's government. The statement came amid heightened diplomatic sensitivities between New Delhi and Dhaka following Hasina's ouster in August 2024.

Bangladesh's Ministry of Foreign Affairs had strongly condemned Hasina's participation in the live media interaction hosted by the Foreign Correspondents' Club of South Asia in New Delhi on Wednesday. Dhaka said it was "outraged" that Hasina had been permitted to address the media from the Indian capital and alleged that she and her associates made hostile remarks against Bangladesh during the event.

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The Bangladesh government said it had previously cautioned that allowing the programme to take place could have serious consequences for India-Bangladesh relations. Despite those concerns, the event went ahead, according to Dhaka. The statement was issued on the second anniversary of the July Revolution, with Bangladesh describing Hasina's appearance as an insult to those who died during the 2024 uprising.

Hasina's interaction was her first engagement with the media since she was ousted as Bangladesh's prime minister in August 2024. Speaking through an audio link from New Delhi, she reiterated that she intended to return to Bangladesh in December. Her remarks came despite criminal convictions against her in Bangladesh and the possibility of imprisonment or a death sentence.

The latest exchange highlights the continuing diplomatic sensitivities surrounding Hasina's presence in India and her public statements about Bangladesh. While Dhaka has objected to her media appearances and remarks, New Delhi has maintained that the event was organised independently by a private media organisation and that the government neither facilitated it nor endorsed the statements made during the interaction.

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